1. Field of the Invention
A security system is disclosed for a building vent that may have a vent stack. The system may include a housing that may be positioned proximate the vent opening, a sensor to indicate that the housing has been moved away from the vent, a sensor(s) to indicate the presence of a volatile gas that may be in the vicinity of the vent opening, and an alert signal generator.
2. Reference to Related Art
Building vents and the associated vent stacks are an emerging security challenge. The vents may run the entire length of a building, providing a direct and substantially unobstructed path to the building's interior. As a result, the potential exists for a building to be seriously damaged or destroyed through the introduction of a volatile (i.e., poisonous or explosive) gas into stacks. An explosive gas, for example, could be introduced at a lower or subterranean level of a structure and permitted to raise up though the vent(s). The gas could then be ignited at the appropriate time resulting in damage to the building. Additionally, or alternatively, an explosive gas or solid could be introduced into the vent(s) from the top and permitted to descend into the building's interior. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a security system that may alert a user to attempts by others to access the vent(s) and/or to the presence of a volatile gas within the vent(s).